Notable deaths in 2009

Heiress to the Johnson & Johnson fortune, Daughter of New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, and fiancée of celebrity Tila Tequila Casey Johnson was found dead at age 30.

Heiress to the Johnson & Johnson fortune, Daughter of New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, and fiancée of celebrity Tila Tequila Casey Johnson was found dead at age 30. (Photo by Michael Kovac/FilmMagic)

Erik Gates, an amateur rocketeer who appeared on several episodes of "Mythbusters," died following an accident in Southern California. Gates, 47, died Dec. 20 in Newbury Park, Calif., after falling through a skylight at the headquarters of Xirrus Inc. He owned an electrical company and was doing contract work at the building, according to the Ventura County Star.

Erik Gates, an amateur rocketeer who appeared on several episodes of "Mythbusters," died following an accident in Southern California. Gates, 47, died Dec. 20 in Newbury Park, Calif., after falling through a skylight at the headquarters of Xirrus Inc. He owned an electrical company and was doing contract work at the building, according to the Ventura County Star.